Midnight Snack
by ConclusionsOfTheHeart
Summary: It was amazing what things could be discovered by simply craving a midnight snack. WARNING: dark suspense...


**A/N: Hi everyone, HAPPY NEW YEAR! :D I was already planning on posting this story, but I did it today because I figured new year, new fanfic! One of my first attempts at darker suspense... Here it is.**  
 **... ...**

He'd thought something was wrong when he heard the thud in the middle of the night. There were many noises that filled the Akatsuki's western hideout, especially when the midnight hour came. The ancient building never ceased its mysterious creaks and moans, and every member had grown accustomed to it. But it was where the thud had come from that peaked Deidara's curiosity. So much so that he decided to part from the fruit cup he was snacking on at the center island of the eating quarters to walk off into the darkness, following the sound of the sudden thud.

That was until he'd reached his partner's bedroom door.

For a moment, Deidara stood outside the pale grey door, at a standstill. The thud was followed by a string of other noises that didn't well accompany the otherwise dead silence coming from the other member's doors. The noise continued as he stood there.

Over the span of a little past three years, Deidara had picked up on a lot of Sasori's habits, his likes and dislikes. How he enjoyed locking himself in his room for more than three quarters of the day, undoubtedly to work on his puppets. The bomber noticed how Sasori never slept, and would stay up twenty-four seven, even when he was capable of resting. Most importantly, he'd come to find out quite early on in their partnership just how much the redhead absolutely detested, under any circumstances, anyone coming into his room, or what he refers to as his "work space." Deidara had learned that the hard way, and had never bothered intruding since he'd learned his lesson years ago, whether he intended to knock or not.

Even so, the noises that were currently omitting from behind the puppeteer's door were growing steadily louder, which only heightened Deidara's interest. Everyone knew how quiet the puppet master was, the man who'd never normally be accused of making even the noise of a pin drop while in his room. But yet, here Deidara stood, his ears witnessing a symphony of noises that would be better suited coming from his, or even Tobi's room. Suddenly the room grew silent before a soft curse rang out on the other side.

It was then the blonde decided to knock. Softly at first. "Danna, un?" He called, slight apprehension beginning to pump through his veins. Everything behind the door grew silent again in a heartbeat. But the blonde already knew something must be wrong. After a few seconds, he knocked again.

"Sasori no Danna. It's me, un," Deidara whispered. Still nothing. The bomber began debating whether or not he should just open the door, when suddenly, someone responded, penetrating the still silence.

"Go away, brat." The voice was strangely familiar. Almost like Sasori's voice, yet... not like Sasori's voice. Not the calm and steady tone Deidara was used to. This voice came out more strangled and had a thick and raspy quality. Deidara stood there a second longer, trying to decipher whether or not it was his tired ears playing around with him. His arms fell limply at his sides.

"What's going on in there, Sasori?" He tried again. There was a prolonged silence once more, and Deidara actually began considering if he should turn the knob, though he knew he'd be asking for a death wish. But still...

"Deidara, everything is fine," the muffled voice again. "just... Go back to bed, brat. We... have a mission tomorrow."

No they didn't.

Deidara's heart skipped a beat, and before his common sense could stop him, he was standing on the carpet of Sasori's bedroom, the grey door's fringes squealing behind him. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

The room was pitch black and smelled of wood. Everything seemed to freeze, trapped in time. But even in the darkness the bomber noticed a slither of movement from the very corner of the room. As his eyes landed on it, the movement halted as if its sudden stillness would will the blue eyes away. But there the eyes remained, squinting, trying to scrutinize the heap in the corner.

"...Sasori?" Deidara asked cautiously.

The voice finally spoke again. "Deidara, get the hell out of here before I kill you." Sasori said in a tone the blonde was not used to. It sounded... Unsure... Desperate. It didn't fit the puppet master. The bomber tensed as Sasori seemed to shrivel all the more into the corner, as if doing so would somehow erase his existence. "You can't see me like this..."

Worry washed over the blonde as he dared to take a few steps forward. "Danna, what the heck are you doing? Why are the lights out, un?" His voice faltered as his eyes landed on the lone lamp on the other side of Sasori's bed. Deidara strode toward it. What he wasn't expecting however, was the sudden outcry of protest followed by the dark figure suddenly springing from its spot in the corner, practically leaping over the bed heading straight toward him.

Deidara recoiled at the feel of a hand enveloping his wrist in a deathly tight grip as his own hand held onto the lamp's switch. It wasn't the hand that was cutting off his circulation that surprised him. It was the fact that the hand was warm. And soft. Like a normal hand.

Sasori seemed to notice his own mistake a second too late as he let go of his partner's wrist as if he'd just been burned. He let out another curse, spinning around in defeat, gripping onto his red hair like he wanted to yank it all out.

Deidara refused to let go of the breath caught in his throat as he finally turned on the lamp, not sure if he was ready to see what he thought he was going to see. "Danna." He said to his older partner's back as light now filled the room. It wasn't a question. He needed to see. He was _demanding_ to see. "Turn around... un."

There was a sigh before the puppet master finally turned to face him, not seeing the point in trying to escape. His face was red with anger and the previous adrenaline that was surging through his body.

His human body.

Deidara took the moment to take in every detail his eyes could soak in. He was taller. Taller than he'd been in his puppet body, even taller than him. His hair was a bit longer too, nearly touching his shoulders and hanging right over his eyebrows which were creased, resulting in the display of an actual emotion. For once, Deidara could make out the anger, and even slight embarrassment that was evident on Sasori's face. He closed his light brown eyes, not wanting to look at his astonished partner who could manage only to get less than a single word out.

"Wha...?"

"Orachimaru. An experiment all those years ago. Gone wrong. Return of lingering side effects." The redhead said in a strained tone, though it held a warning edge to it that said he wished to speak no further on the subject.

At this point, Deidara knew his mind was on full alert, so it couldn't have been playing tricks in him. This was really happening, and it was not a dream. So many thoughts, so many feelings, unanswered questions. The artist didn't know what to think. All he could do at the moment was gape and stare. He must've been staring for longer than the puppeteer liked because it wasn't before long he was met with his partner's signature impatient death stare. That was a quality of Sasori's that remained even when human, and its sharpness wasn't dulled in the slightest. Deidara was then kicked out of the room with the promise of certain death tomorrow morning once Sasori was back to normal...

But still. It was amazing what things could be discovered by simply craving a midnight snack.


End file.
